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Sarawak to host AsiaFlux conference this year – POSTPONED

Tuesday, 25 February 2020

Some 500 researchers from around the world in the fields of atmospheric peat science, environment, hydrologists, biochemistry, soil science and meteorologists will be arriving in Kuchingâ€™s â€“ the state capital of Sarawak â€“ for the AsiaFlux 2020 conference this September.

Held from 21-23 September 2021, the three-day conference has been themed The Nexus of Land Use Change, Ecosystems & Climate: A Path towards Sustainable Development Goals. The conference will also act as a platform to raise awareness on the importance of greenhouse gas cycles in guiding sustainable land use policies in the region and its global impact.

AsiaFlux is a regional research network involved in the long-term study of climate change in relation to carbon, water and energy fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere in Asia. From there, scientific data is generated, which will then be analysed, and used to develop a science-based land-use policy to support land-use management and biomass production in mitigating climate change, human life and sustainable development in Asia.

AsiaFlux is affiliated to the global Fluxnet network of micrometeorological tower sites of which there are more than 500 operating around the world.

Lulie Melling, organising chairman of AsiaFlux 2020, shared: â€śHosting the AsiaFlux 2020 Conference is testimony of the global recognition of Sarawak governmentâ€™s commitment to climate change and getting world accreditation for the Sarawak Flux Tower Study. This is the only state in Malaysia which has as many as three Flux towers, two of which are located in Betong and Sibu.â€ť

Melling â€“ who is also the director of Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Insitute â€“ added: â€śIt is also a great opportunity for young scientists from South-east Asia to network with leaders in the field of carbon, water and energy cycles and avail themselves to the latest in greenhouse gas flux measurements.â€ť

Melling: event to bring global attention to Sarawak Flux Tower Study

The conference is jointly organised by the Malaysian Peat Society, Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute and AsiaFlux Science Steering Committee in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan; Hokkaido University; Malaysian Palm Oil Board; Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, and Malaysian Research and Development Institute.